Introduction to Biology

Which question is testable?

• How does changing the amount of water affect the growth of corn?

• Is it ethical to use human tissue removed during surgery for scientific research?

• Are you happy with your new job?

• Will people be disappointed if car insurance rates increase?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

What should Maria do to confirm her hypothesis that the color reaches the flower through the stem?

• She should repeat the experiment with the same type of flower and photograph the changes over time.

• She should ask her science teacher about the flower to confirm whether her hypothesis is correct.

• She should try the experiment with a potted plant with roots and observe any color changes.

• She should repeat the experiment with a different species of plant and photograph the changes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

Which experiment would most likely contain experimental bias?

• A lab performs a test by giving bacterial colonies the same amount of different antibiotics and growing them under the same conditions.

• A chemistry class performs an experiment in which each reaction has the same amount of starting material and begins at the same temperature.

• A company that makes pain relief medication tests the effectiveness of their own medicine compared to that of three other brands.

• A student tests the attraction of bees to flowers by placing four different flowers in the same location and counting how many bees visit each.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Four different thermometers were used to measure the temperature of a sample of impure boiling water. The measurements are recorded in the table. The actual boiling point of pure water is 100.0 C. What can be concluded from the data about the reliability and validity of the thermometers?

• Thermometer Z is the most reliable.

• Thermometer W is the most reliable.

• Thermometer Y has the highest validity.

• Thermometer X has the highest validity.

A student notices that when bananas are kept near other fruits, the other fruits ripen faster. She wonders what causes the other fruits to ripen more quickly and thinks that bananas must have an influence on the ripening process. She decides to perform an experiment. She gathers bananas and apples and places an apple by itself at location A and an apple next to a banana at location B. She then waits for five days and records how ripe each apple is. What would be the next step in this experiment?

• ask questions and construct a hypothesis

• construct a hypothesis and record data

• analyze the results and make a conclusion

• make observations and draw a conclusion

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Which term defines a well-supported, explanation of an occurrence of a natural phenomenon?

• hypothesis

• bias

• observation

• theory

What is the definition of a scientific theory?

• The final outcome of an experiment completed one time.

• A scientifically acknowledged principle that has been confirmed by repeated experimental observations.

• A proposed explanation for an occurrence based on available data, observations, or evidence.

• A well-supported explanation of why a phenomenon occurs.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

How is a scientific law different from a scientific theory?

• A law is why something happens and a theory is how it happens.

• A theory is a well-supported explanation of why something happens and a law is when a principle is confirmed by repeated observations.

• A theory cannot be disproved but a law can be disproved.

• A theory becomes a law after a long period of time has passed.

A researcher conducts an experiment on the secretion of a particular hormone in mice. Scientists inject mice with a substance that stimulates the production of the hormone. The scientists then test the levels of hormones produced by the mice. The tool used to measure the hormones consistently detects the levels at 10 points lower than the actual hormone levels in the mice. This tool makes ____________ measurements.

• Qualitative

• Reliable

• Valid

• Quantitative

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

A researcher conducts an experiment on the secretion of a particular hormone in mice. Scientists inject mice with a substance that stimulates the production of the hormone. The scientists then test the levels of hormones produced by the mice. The tool used to measure the hormones consistently detects the levels at 10 points lower than the actual hormone levels in the mice. The measurements are not __________________.

• Quantitative

• Reliable

• Valid

• Accurate